Today in Inside Indiana Business, the WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) Program was highlighted as a collaboration between Indiana Department of Workforce Development, manufacturers from 14 counties in the state, and Purdue University, all of which was made possible by federal funding from the Department of Labor.

I see this as a great example of how a focus on training the green collar workforce is in motion and that the green wave is gaining momentum. The training will allow for businesses to improve the rate of return they receive on investing in green. By employing people who are well versed in sustainability practices, Indiana businesses can compete in an economy which has increasingly been favoring responsible corporate practices. Also, if you have read any of my other posts you’d know that universities have been playing key roles in driving green training and information.

There’s so much great stuff in this article I’m just going to list the practices that this program’s going to bring to workers and managers.

General skills level training:

Environmental waste streams and receptors

Managing hazardous wastes

Waste minimization

Using green materials in manufacturing

Alternative energy sources

Low impact manufacturing processes

Globalization issues involving green manufacturing

Specialist Skills Training (for managers)

Engineering economics in green manufacturing

Facility assessment

Potential financial benefits

Engineering green manufacturing projects

There are also examples of sustainable manufacturing practices that have worked:

Wastewater through a generator to produce electricity

Recycle metal dust into aluminum

Biodegradable packaging

I have to give so much credit to Inside Indiana Business for getting this info out to us and hopefully I can spread this story to more interested parties as well. They will be streaming video of training session for the public on the web and the more people that see it the more solid our sustainability base can be. Purdue obviously has made a big impact into this as well “Go Boilermakers”.